Endoscopic Urethrotomy Research Articles

Challenging non-traumatic posterior urethral strictures treated with urethroplasty: a preliminary report

Posterior urethral strictures after prostatic radiotherapy or surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) refractory to minimal invasive procedures (dilation and/or endoscopic urethrotomy) are challenging to treat. Published reports of alternative curative management are extremely rare. This is a preliminary report on the treatment of these difficult strictures by urethroplasty. Seven cases were treated: 4 cases occurred after open prostatectomy or transurethral resection of the prostate for BPH, one case after external beam irradiation and 2 after brachytherapy. The 4 cases after BPH-related surgery were in fact complete obstructions at the bladder neck and the membranous urethra with the prostatic urethra still partially patent. Anastomotic repair by perineal route was done in all cases with bladder neck incision in the BPH-cases and prostatic apex resection in the radiotherapy cases. Mean follow-up was 31 months (range: 12-72 months). The operation was successful, with preserved continence, in 3 of the 4 BPH-cases and in 2 of the 3 radiotherapy cases. An endoscopic incision was able to treat a short re-stricture in the BPH-patient and a longer stricture at the bulbar urethra could be managed with a perineostomy in the radiotherapy-patient. Posterior non-traumatic strictures refractory to minimal invasive procedures (dilation/endoscopic urethrotomy) can be treated by urethroplasty using an anastomotic repair with a bladder neck incision if necessary.

Use of forearm free‐flap phalloplasty in bladder exstrophy adults

To assess the long-term outcome and cosmetic results of forearm free-flap phalloplasty for correcting micropenis associated with bladder exstrophy in men. From 1992 to 2000, six men with bladder exstrophy and unsatisfactory penile appearance underwent phalloplasty at our institution. The mean (range) follow-up was 113 (62-153) months. The surgical procedure consisted of a modified radial free-flap phalloplasty and prosthesis implantation. One-stage urethroplasty was electively performed according to the patient's voiding pattern. Early and late complications were recorded and quality of life after phalloplasty was assessed. The mean (range) age was 21.2 (17-26) years and flap survival was 100%. Two incontinent patients underwent immediate perineal urethrostomy. One sepsis occurred, requiring the removal of the penile prosthesis and a cutaneous continent urinary diversion; this patient was the only one to complain about the outcome. Two anastomotic urethral strictures were conservatively treated by endoscopic urethrotomy and only one patient underwent subsequent urethral self-dilatations. Five patients were very satisfied with the cosmesis of the neophallus and three patients reported having regular sexual intercourse. Although short, this series indicates the low incidence of early complications and the excellent long-term satisfaction with forearm free-flap phalloplasty in bladder exstrophy. Phalloplasty has potential indications when adult exstrophy patients are dissatisfied with the cosmetic appearance of their external genitalia or have unsatisfactory sexual intercourse.

Progressive Hair Coil Penile Tourniquet Syndrome: Multi Center Experience With 25 Cases

PURPOSE Penile hair tourniquet syndrome is uncommon syndrome characterized by progressive penile strangulation by a hair tie. Complications were reported including urethrocutaneous fistula, complete urethral transaction, penile gangrene and penile amputation. Prevention of such major complications depends on awareness by the aetiology and presence of high index of suspicion for early diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty five children presenting with different degrees of hair coil penile strangulation syndrome have been operated upon in the period from 2000 to 2007 in two tertiary care centres in the city of Alexandria. Eighteen boys had complete transection of the urethra at the coronal sulcus. Seven boys had partial transaction of the ventral wall of the urethra at the coronal sulcus. Repair of the penis was done in all children in single stage. RESULTS The mean age of boys is 3, 9 year (2-5 SD: 2, 1). the mean follow up is 20, 7 months (6-48 SD: 12, 3). Urethral catheter was left for a mean of 5.5 days (4-7 SD: 1, 15).In the mean follow up period we had 4 complications in the form of 2 tiny urethrocutaneous fistulas and 2 anastomotic urethral strictures. The fistulae are closed surgically after the primary surgery by one year in the two cases and closed with no recurrence. Urethral strictures were managed by endoscopic visual urethrotomy with no recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Penile tourniquet syndrome can cause serious penile complications. Awareness by this rare syndrome can help in preventing such complications. Being familiar with the surgical reconstruction guarantees high success rate.

Initial Experience with Endoscopic Holmium: YAG Laser Urethrotomy for Incomplete Urethral Stricture

Endoscopic holmium laser urethrotomy was pri-marily performed on 15 patients with incomplete urethral stricture. Exclusion criteria were complete urethral stricture and previous treatment of urethral stricture. Retrograde urethrography and uroflowmetry were performed preoperatively and were carried out as follow-up studies postoperatively.

Minimally invasive treatment of urethral strictures in men

Minimally invasive treatments of urethral strictures in men intend to durably restore normal anatomy and function with relief of urinary symptoms and avoidance of morbidity. Minimally invasive treatments for bulbar urethral strictures include bougienage and coaxial balloon dilation, endoscopic urethrotomy with a cold-knife or laser, and urethral wall stents. Adjunctive techniques including brachytherapy and the injection of steroids, mitomycin C, or captopril, have been employed to reduce the high restricture rates with minimally invasive treatments for bulbar urethral strictures. This review discusses recently published data concerning indications for these commonly performed minimally invasive procedures, along with their efficacy, durability, and potential for adverse events. Although many currently available studies report on small numbers of patients, some conclusions can be made. Ultimately, long-term, randomized, controlled prospective studies of larger numbers of men with bulbar urethral strictures are needed.

Posterior urethral injury in male children: Long-term follow up

Objective Owing to the immature pelvis and the relative intra-abdominal position of the child's bladder, children with a posterior urethral injury differ from adults. We report our experience in the management of such injuries in male children. Patients and methods Children with suspected urethral injury underwent retrograde urethrography once their clinical condition was stable. Children with complete urethral injury underwent primary urethral realignment either endoscopically or by open surgical technique. Suprapubic cystostomy was performed in other children who were unfit to undergo primary realignment or in whom the management of other injuries took precedence over that of urethral injury. Children referred from elsewhere for further management of urethral injury and those with initial suprapubic cystostomy underwent delayed urethroplasty. Results Twenty-two children with mean age of 11.3 years were treated at our centre for urethral injury. Seven children underwent primary endoscopic urethral realignment, five open surgical realignment and 10 initial suprapubic cystostomy followed by delayed urethroplasty. Six of the 12 children undergoing primary urethral realignment required additional endoscopic urethrotomy for managing the stricture, and three of these six children eventually underwent urethroplasty. Of the 10 children undergoing delayed urethroplasty, three required additional sessions of endoscopic urethrotomy and two of these required further correction graft urethroplasty. Conclusion Most male children with posterior urethral injuries need immediate realignment to prevent long-term complications.

The Inside-Out Trans-Obturator Sling: A Novel Surgical Technique for the Treatment of Male Urinary Incontinence

ObjectivesTo describe a new sling procedure for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after radical prostatectomy (RP) and prospectively evaluate its short-term safety and efficacy. MethodsThe sling technique uses specific instruments and a polypropylene mesh with two arms that are passed inside to outside through the obturator foramens, pulled for compressing the bulbar urethra upward, and tied to each other across the midline. Patients with detrusor overactivity were excluded. Baseline and follow-up evaluations included uroflowmetry and continence and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. Cure was defined by no pad use and improvement by a number of pads/d ≤2 and reduced by at least 50%. Complications were recorded. ResultsFrom April 2006 through February 2007, 20 consecutive patients suffering from post-RP SUI underwent the sling procedure using the same operative protocol. Preoperatively, 3 (15%), 11 (55%), and 6 (25%) patients were using 2, 3–5, and >5pads/d, respectively. The procedure was preceded by an endoscopic urethrotomy in four patients. No perioperative complication was noted; three patients required suprapubic catheterization. At 6 mo, nine (45%) patients were cured and eight others (40%) were improved (1pad/d). QoL was significantly enhanced and 80% of patients were moderately to completely satisfied with the procedure. Preoperative and postoperative maximum flow rate and postvoid residual values were not statistically different. No sling infection, urethra erosion, persistent pain, or neurologic complications were observed. ConclusionsThe inside-out trans-obturator sling procedure appears to be safe and efficient at short term. Further studies are warranted to determine long-term outcome.

Urethral Diverticulum After Endoscopic Urethrotomy: Case Report

Diverticula of the male penile urethra are rare clinical entities. Urethral diverticula in males may be associated with trauma, infection, impacted calculi or stricture disease. Herein, we present an unusual case of a 57-year-old man with erectile dysfunction and a symptomatic urethral diverticulum after endoscopic urethrotomy for a pendulous urethral stricture. One year after surgical repair involving urethral stricture excision, end-to-end primary urethroplasty, and closure of the diverticular neck, the patient is voiding well but has persistent erectile dysfunction unresponsive to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors.

Anastomotic Urethroplasty for Posttraumatic Urethral Stricture: Previous Urethral Manipulation Has a Negative Impact on the Final Outcome

We evaluated the long-term results of anastomotic urethroplasty for posttraumatic urethral stricture and assessed the impact of previous endourethral/surgical intervention on the subsequent outcome. From January 1988 to April 2005, 51 patients underwent anastomotic urethroplasty for posttraumatic urethral stricture following pelvic fracture (41) or perineal blunt trauma (10). Of these patients 28 (55%) underwent previous surgical procedures, including endoscopic urethrotomy with endoscopic realignment in 20 and open urethroplasty in 8. Median followup was 4.6 years. Results were evaluated. Success was characterized by a maximum urine flow of more than 15 ml per second, sterile urine, and normal urethral imaging and/or endoscopy. A satisfactory result was considered to be 1 episode of recurrence diagnosed on routine imaging/endoscopy that was successfully managed by 1 or 2 direct vision internal urethrotomies. Failure was characterized by the necessity for repeat instrumental and/or open surgery. Results were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and the log rank test. At 1, 5 and 10 years overall success rates were 63%, 55% and 43%, while satisfactory result rates were 84%, 80% and 76%, respectively. However, the 23 patients without urethral manipulation before anastomotic urethroplasty had a satisfactory result of more than 90% vs more than 60% in patients with previous surgical treatment. These results were maintained for 100 months (p <0.05). Endoscopic and/or open urethral manipulation before anastomotic urethroplasty for posttraumatic urethral stricture has a significant impact on the outcome of urethral reconstruction. Cases of posttraumatic urethral stricture should preferably be referred to a center of expertise.

Anastomotic urethroplasty for failed previously treated membranous urethral rupture

Objectives To determine whether delayed excision and primary anastomosis is appropriate after failed previous therapeutic attempts for post-traumatic membranous urethral strictures. Delayed excision and primary anastomosis is widely accepted as the first-line treatment of post-traumatic membranous urethral strictures. Methods A review of the medical records identified 13 patients who had undergone anastomotic urethroplasty as a second procedure for traumatic membranous urethral strictures. The previous treatments in these patients included anastomotic urethroplasty in four, staged urethroplasty in four, and endoscopic urethrotomy or primary catheter realignment in five. The mean stricture length was 2.8 cm. All patients underwent excision and primary bulboprostatic anastomosis using the perineal approach. Results Four patients required partial pubectomy and one required corporal rerouting to achieve anastomosis. The mean follow-up was 27 months. Urethrography performed 1 month postoperatively demonstrated a widely patent anastomosis in all cases. Flexible urethroscopy performed 1 year after surgery revealed a widely patent anastomosis with normal urethral mucosa in all patients but one. The mean maximal flow rate at the last follow-up visit was 23.5 mL/s compared with 3.9 mL/s preoperatively. No statistically significant postvoid residual urine volume was found in any patient. One patient developed an anastomotic stricture 3 months after surgery that was treated successfully by internal urethrotomy. Thus, the objective success rate was 92%. Subjectively, all patients but one reported satisfactory voiding. Complications were mild and included urinary tract infection, bladder stone formation, and decreased erectile function in 1 patient each. Conclusions Even in patients with failed previous surgical attempts, excision and primary anastomosis is feasible and provides good surgical results in post-traumatic posterior urethral strictures. The complications were mild and easily treated.

Buccal mucosa urethroplasty in the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures

Objectives To report our 8-year experience with buccal mucosa onlay urethroplasty with the dorsal approach in the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures. The buccal mucosal graft is widely used as an effective option for urethral reconstruction. Methods Since June 1994, we have treated 65 patients with bulbar urethral strictures with buccal mucosa urethroplasty. A free graft of buccal mucosa was used as a ventral onlay in 9 patients and as a dorsal onlay in the remaining 56 patients. The bulbar urethra was isolated from the corpora. Endoscopic urethrotomy was performed dorsally. The graft was obtained from the lower lip and sutured to the urethra and corpora cavernosa. A transurethral grooved catheter and suprapubic drainage was maintained for 7 and 14 days, respectively. Results The median follow-up was 41 months (range 6 to 94). The overall recurrence rate was 3% (2 of 65). One recurrence occurred in a ventral onlay patient and one in a dorsal onlay patient. Minor complications occurred in 9 patients (14%). Conclusions Buccal mucosa dorsal onlay urethroplasty is an excellent option for the treatment of bulbar urethral strictures.

Recurrent traumatic urethral strictures near the external sphincter: treatment with a covered, retrievable, expandable nitinol stent--initial results.

To investigate the clinical effectiveness of a covered, retrievable, expandable nitinol stent in treating traumatic urethral strictures near the external sphincter. The stent was 10 mm in diameter when fully expanded and 40-50 mm long. To make it removable, two nylon drawstrings were attached to its lower inner margin. Twelve consecutive men (19-67 years; mean age, 47 years) with traumatic urethral strictures near the external sphincter that were refractory to endoscopic urethrotomy were treated. With fluoroscopic guidance, a stent was placed to completely bridge the external sphincter. The stent was electively removed with a retrieval hook wire 2 months after placement. Stent placement and removal were successful in all patients, with no procedural complications. Mean maximum urine flow rate was 5 mL/sec (range, 3-7 mL/sec) before stent placement and 27 mL/sec (range, 16-40 mL/sec) at 1 week after placement. During the mean follow-up of 20 months (range, 2-37 months) after the first stent removal, strictures recurred in eight of 12 patients. For the eight patients with recurrence, a second stent was placed and 4 months later was removed from seven of the eight patients. During the mean follow-up of 18 months (range, 4-32 months) after the second stent removal, strictures recurred in two patients, in whom a third stent was placed and then removed 4 months later, with good results. Four (33%) of 12 patients, five (62%) of eight patients, and two (100%) of two patients were successfully treated with placement of the first stent, the second stent, and the third stent, respectively. In the remaining patient, the second stent remains in place. Placement of a covered, retrievable, expandable nitinol stent seems to be effective in treating urethral strictures near the external sphincter and warrants further investigation.

Duplicidad de uretra masculina

Duplication of the male urethra is an uncommon congenital malformation. The majority of cases are diagnosed during infancy, and are detected by observing two urethral meatus, or by the appearance of some form of complication, normally of an obstructive nature. Micturitional cystourethrography is an essential test, both in confirming diagnosis of this pathology, and in determining the type of urethral duplication. Excretory urography is also recommended due to its association with other possible urological and extra-urological congenital disorders. Treatment is based on the patient’s clinical symptoms, with a waiting period considered advisable for asymptomatic cases.Here we present a case of incomplete urethral duplication, diagnosed from a bladder outlet obstruction, secondary to stenosis of the urethra, which was treated with an endoscopic urethrotomy and distal septotomy, obtaining excellent clinical results.

Urethral syndromes in children.

1. Walid Farhat, MD* 2. Gordon McLorie, MD* 1. 2. *Division of Urology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Objectives After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the evaluation of a child suspected of having urethritis. 2. Delineate the screening tests that have the highest yield for urethritis in young children. 3. List components of a behavioral modification approach to treating dysfunctional voiding. 4. Compare and contrast physical findings in gonococcal and nongonococcal urethritis. Inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) may be due to infection, trauma, allergy, foreign body, or an undetermined factor. Certain characteristics distinguish urethritis in the pediatric population from that in adults. First, urethritis in adults and adolescents has an infectious etiology and always is the result of sexual contact; infectious urethritis in the pediatric age group is uncommon, except in sexually active adolescents or children who have been sexually abused by an adult who has the disease. Second, the variability and nonspecificity of a variety of noninfectious urethral pathologies may mimic infectious urethritis in children. Children who have urethritis may present with irritative voiding symptoms, such as dysuria, urgency, or frequency; possible urethral discharge; initial hematuria; or blood spotting on the underwear. Patients suspected of having urethritis are evaluated with a detailed history, physical examination, urethral smear, or urine culture. In girls, examination may show evidence of vaginitis, which is a common cause of dysuria after urinary tract infection, labial adhesions, or even sexual abuse; in males, results of the examination frequently are inconclusive. In infants, young children, and sexually inactive adolescents, screening tests that have the highest yield include urinalysis and abdominal ultrasonography (US); uroflow is reserved for toilet-trained children. The urine should be examined for evidence of infection or hematuria. Abdominal US can diagnose a variety of abnormalities, including bladder stone or inflammation, ureterocele, foreign body, or tumor. Uroflow is a noninvasive urodynamics test that assesses the ability to initiate voiding on command, quantitates …

L'urétrotomie interne endoscopique dans le traitement des sténoses de l'urètre masculin au service d'urologie du CHU Ignace Deen

The authors report a series of 157 stenoses of the urethra treated by endoscopic urethrotomy between 1991 and 1997. After a first urethrotomy the success rate is 51.8%, with a decline of one year. Mortality is zero, and the morbidity assessed at 9%. For these authors, the result is better when the urethrotomy concerns an uninfected, one-time, short (less than 2 cm) stenosis, whatever the etiology, located on the proximal urethra. The duration of the postoperatory catheter has been fixed at three days. Poor results (35.20%) have been reported in stretched stenoses located on the distal urethra. These poor results have been treated by another urethrotomy, with 25% good results. The remaining 10.2% have needed sessions of urethral dilatation, even a plasty.

Optimal management of the 3- to 6-centimeter anterior urethral stricture.

The optimal management of anterior urethral stricture that does not respond to an endoscopic urethrotomy or is found to be unsuitable for excision and anastomotic repair remains controversial. Genital skin island onlay flaps or buccal mucosal grafts are presently the most dependable single stage procedures used for strictures more than 3 cm in length. Nonhirsute penile island fasciocutaneous flaps constitute the most durable substitution technique for pendulous stricture disease, with long-term studies reporting 90% to 96% success. The complex proximal bulb and bulbomenbraneous stricture with a compromised proximal fibrous avascular bed is ideally managed with either a penile or scrotal island flap or some combination of partial urethral excision with a dorsally placed genital skin island. The buccal mucosal onlay graft is a promising addition to this reconstructive paradigm, and early outcomes have been favorable. The graft is presently used for bulbar strictures, avoiding the transsphincteric on pendulous location, or a compromised recipient bed. The present standard of care for proximal bulb strictures is wide bulbospongiosal mobilization, partial urethral excision, a floor strip anastomosis, and placement of an augmenting flap on the graft in a dorsal location.

Reconstruction of Posterior Urethral Disruption Injuries: Outcome Analysis in 82 Patients

We sought to identify the long-term success rate of perineal anastomotic reconstruction for posterior urethral disruption. We reviewed the records of 82 patients with traumatic prostatomembranous urethral strictures who underwent perineal anastomotic urethroplasty by 1 surgeon. Excision of fibrosis with simple perineal anastomosis was performed in 52 patients (63%), while pubectomy was required in 30 (37%) to obtain a tension-free anastomosis. Median followup was longer than 1 year. Potency improved from 46% before reconstruction to 62% postoperatively. Nine patients (11%) required 1 endoscopic urethrotomy after urethroplasty to improve flow rate and this procedure was successful in 8 (88%). In 3 patients (3%) urethroplasty ultimately failed and they remained untreated because of insurmountable co-morbidity. Overall, long-term success was observed in 79 patients (97%). Excellent long-term results can be expected from anastomotic urethroplasty in patients with traumatic posterior urethral strictures. Subsequent urethrotomy, when required, has a high likelihood of success. A significant number of patients regain potency after urethral reconstruction. Persistent impotence probably reflects the severity of pelvic trauma.

Sachse urethrotomy versus endoscopic urethrotomy plus transurethral resection of the fibrous callus (Guillemin's technique) in the treatment of urethral stricture

Objectives Advances in endoscopic instrumentation and techniques have expanded the urologist's armamentarium for effective and safe treatment of urethral strictures. This prospective study included 80 patients who presented with single, iatrogenic, annular strictures of the bulbar urethra. The length of the stricture was 1 to 2 cm, with an average of 1.5 cm. Methods Patients were randomly divided into two groups: group A, 40 patients who underwent directoptical endoscopic urethrotomy with a guide catheter via cold-knife incision at the 12 o'clock position (Sachse urethrotomy), and group B, 40 patients who underwent double direct-optical endoscopic urethrotomy with a guide catheter via cold-knife incisions at the 11 and 1 o'clock positions, followed by transurethral resection of all scar tissues (Guillemin's technique). The results obtained were analyzed and compared at 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 3 years, and 5 years postoperatively by clinical evaluation, uroflowmetry, and retrograde and voiding urethrographies. Results Group A obtained 95% good results at 6 months, 85% at 12 months, 55% at 24 months, 45% at 3 years, and 25% at 5 years. Group B obtained 98% good results at 6 months, 95% at 12 months, 90% at 24 months, 80% at 3 years, and 70% at 5 years. Conclusions The differences between the two groups are not significant at 6 and 12 months ( P > 0.05). They are statistically significant after 24 months, 3 years, and 5 years ( P < 0.05).

Management of urethral strictures in children

We report the results of a long-term follow-up study in 78 children with urethral strictures. The ages ranged from 1 month to 20 years and the follow-up from 8 months to 15 years (average 5.9 years). Balloon dilation was the primary treatment in 66 patients. Manipulative management (balloon dilation and endoscopic urethrotomy) was performed in 68 cases and was successful in 55. There were no complications. Balloon dilation alone provided an 80% success rate (53/66). Twenty-two patients were treated by one-stage urethroplasty, with an overall 95.5% success rate. The surgical repair was performed in 12 patients as a secondary procedure after failure of conservative treatment. Our data do not support the rather poor results usually reported in the pediatric literature associated with the balloon dilation technique.

Bacteriologic, histologic and ultrasonographic findings in strictures recurring after urethrotomy. A preliminary study.

Twelve men with recurrent anterior urethral stricture after endoscopic urethrotomy (2-12 attempts) underwent open urethroplasty with en bloc removal of diseased urethral segments. Bacteriologic and histologic studies of the excised urethral tracts (mucosa and spongiosum tissue) were performed. The bacteriologic findings were compared with the results of preoperative urine cultures and urethral swabs for chlamydia. The histologic findings were related to preoperative ultrasonographic observations, in order to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography in depicting structural changes in spongiosum around the strictured urethral tract. Beta-haemolytic streptococci and Streptococcus faecalis were cultured from the excised spongiosum, without correlation to the preoperative culture results. The histologic studies confirmed the usefulness of urethral ultrasonography for accurate demonstration of the inflammatory changes involving spongiosum around the strictures.